Words Of Wisdom

Dear Vani,

The pleasure is mine to connect with you via IL. Yes. "The service begins at home" is what Swami said and apparently your present dharma is to do your duty towards the family to your full potential and achieve a great sense of fulfillment in everything you do. Love All Serve All and Help Ever and Hurt Never are the two major simple teachings that emanated from the scriptures.

As you know, three wings of the world organization consist of Service, Adoration and Illumination, three aspects that makes the word "SAI". As your children grow and your responsibilities at home gets a shade easier, concentrate more on simple service projects such as feeding the poor, helping the elders in your area who are sick, getting groceries when they could not drive, teaching other children a few moral values or serve the homeless, if there is any in your area. This gives immense amount of pleasure and expands our love and triggers the feeling of oneness and unity. There is no need to teach a woman about adoration such as chanting, singing bhajans and worshiping. But whenever, you get some me time, spend it to study self and learn more about everything you chant. This is a good beginning. If you are already doing all that, please forgive me.

I am not doing anything to teach anyone here and I am the one who is learning by articulating some thoughts for my own benefit and in the process learn from the responses.

Viswa

 

Dear Cheeniya Sir,

Thank you for your kind response. Your guidance is invaluable about putting the family first. As you rightly pointed out, the most of my time is still spent on taking care of my family. I definitely know what you mean when you say prioritize the family before extending help to others. I consider your invaluable advice as an act of affectionate brother.

Those words about helping others as a mission is more of an affirmation for myself to continue doing what I already do here to help the people in need, seniors who need help in the Hospice, sharing knowledge with young children and adult who are aspiring to build career and help the neighbors whenever possible. I do most of it under various organizations already established and not as an individual. I am a volunteer in the Hospice and sometimes, they do call me to talk to a senior who needs some attention. Sometimes, I participate in the health camp that provides services to the homeless such as Podiatry, Eye, Dental, etc. who has no means to pay for such services. Sometimes, I go to a charitable organization and arrange things for them to access easily and other times, I contribute canned food. Once a year, we distribute backpacks for homeless school-going children. Most are done over the weekend and these actions give a great sense of happiness to me.

Once I retire and my son is settled, I would like to come back to India and do some service back in India as long as I have the physical ability to work. A friend of mine set up a Charitable Trust to help poor children educate themselves as he suffered all his young age struggling to pay for fees. As long as I have worked in the US, I have been serving the community here but when I was in India, I was not matured enough to think in that direction . Hence, I am planning to fulfill that obligation, god willing.

Viswa

 

@Sunburst,

Thank you for mentioning about your FIL's successful effort to serve the humanity and the animals. I still have a similar idea to go back to India and serve and I am getting nothing but discouragement from friends and family (back in India) and they scare me to death about running an old age home and/or orphanage. Everyone tells me that I should work with an institution rather than being on my own as it would be difficult for me to handle bureaucracy and legalities involved.

I have spoken about this mission with my family number of times and my wife is perfectly aligned with my thoughts. My son already told me that I don't need his consent to execute my mission as it is my hard earned money. In fact, he suggested that if I start a mission, he would contribute as he builds his own wealth. A friend of mine who retired from Gulf recently has started a private trust to help poor students educate themselves. He has been doing that successfully for the past 2-3 years.

I have always suggested to the family that wherever we end up at my retirement in terms of wealth, it should be divided into three parts, first used to help old-aged and/or orphaned children, second kept as a reserve for my son (only child) for his future (my son suggests that this part also should go towards my mission) and the third for our own retirement. I have certain target in my head and I am working towards that goal and I am approximately at 70% to 75% with 2-3 years left for retirement.

I have some windfall investments in private companies that could change the scenario dramatically taking me much above my target. Spending time serving others at retirement is a great sense of fulfillment one should experience like your FIL. In my mind, retirement is not to rest (if health permits) but to serve others with no focus on earning something out of our service. Hopefully, I will be blessed to be a soul like your FIL. As you said, it could be a small drop in the ocean but at least it contributes something to the community and provides a great sense of fulfillment.

Viswa

 

Dear Hariji,

Sorry, I missed responding to you earlier and I didn't realize your answers were embedded into the quote. Apparently, we have different views on the subject and I respect your feedback. I write here to hear different view points and learn from them.

Thank you as always for your response.

Viswa